Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Fast and Furious: Eric Holder’s bizarre House Judiciary testimony
humanevents.com ^ | 7 June, 2012 | John Hayward

Posted on 06/08/2012 3:45:46 AM PDT by marktwain

Attorney General Eric Holder attended hearings into Operation Fast and Furious by the House Judiciary committee on Thursday. His testimony brought one major breakthrough: it turns out he doesn’t hate David Axelrod’s guts after all. There have been accounts that Holder nearly came to blows with President Obama’s top political advisor, but Holder told House Judiciary they have a “great relationship,” and he doesn’t think Axelrod has ever “done anything that I would consider inappropriate.”

Whew! Glad we got that out of the way! In other news, U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry is still dead because of Operation Fast and Furious. The Attorney General still maintains he and his top deputies didn’t know anything, can’t remember anything, and have no intention of complying with lawful subpoenas from Congress. Holder acknowledges that he’s only turned over 7,600 of the 140,000 Fast and Furious documents he’s sitting on, and that’s about as good as it’s going to get.

This did not sit well with the clearly exasperated Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who is chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and the lead House investigator into Operatin Fast and Furious. “You’re not a good witness,” Issa snapped at one point, when Holder made one of his periodic efforts to pretend that coughing up five percent of the required material constitutes fulfillment of his subpoenas. “A good witness answers the question that was asked.”

How about those wiretap applications, smuggled out of Justice by a whistleblower, which prove beyond question that Holder’s inner circle was well aware of “gun walking” tactics, long before Agent Terry’s death? Well, according to the Attorney General, that’s all George Bush’s fault.

Holder claimed that high officials in his department don’t review wiretap applications before signing them – they skim over brief summaries and ignore details not directly related to the request for electronic surveillance. You know, little peripheral matters like the ATF losing hundreds of guns to Mexican drug cartel hit men. “They do not look at the affidavits to see, if in fact… to review all that is engaged… all that is involved in the operation,” the Attorney General explained.

For his part, now that Issa and his whistleblowers have kindly brought the wiretap applications to his attention, Holder has read them in full. “I have read those, and I have read Wide Receiver as well,” he said, referring to the vastly smaller Bush-era gun walking program. “I can say that what has happened in connection with Fast and Furious was done in the same way… wiretap applications were done in the same way under the previous Administration in Wide Receiver.”

Asked when the White House was made aware of the gun walking tactics employed by Operation Fast and Furious, Holder essentially said his staffers briefed the White House but didn’t brief him, so he doesn’t know what anybody said, or when they said it. He allegedly still hasn’t found the time to gather “specifics” about the case, even though he easily made the time to conduct a political seminar for black preachers recently. When Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) demanded to know who authorized Fast and Furious, Holder referred him to the eternally “in progress” internal Justice Department investigation, which is apparently being conducted by Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. He even said he doesn’t know how many guns have been recovered, or even more appalling, how many are still missing.

Holder also complained about having to keep giving the same non-answers to investigative committees eight times now, moaned about how he feels under “attack,” and of course slipped in a call for more gun-control legislation.

Unbelievably, while he was being read an email from Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein that discussed “gun walking” by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Holder said it was actually about the Bush-era Operation Wide Receiver… even though the email actually referred, verbatim, to Fast and Furious.

An astonished Chaffetz said, “The email says Fast and Furious, you say it doesn’t. I’ve got it in black and white.”

“I have superior knowledge,” was Holder’s ultimate response.

There is no question this nonsense would be yielding 24-hour wall-to-wall news coverage from hyperventilating anchors if Holder was a Republican attorney general. He’d already be a staple of late-night comedy routines. Instead, expect a total media blackout of this incredible hearing.

House Democrats, especially Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, were happy to aid Holder in covering up his malfeasance by interrupting legitimate questions from the serious members of Congress, in an obvious bid to run out the clock on the Judiciary hearings. It was rather like watching a group of little kids squabble over the rules of a softball game. Except that several hundred people have already been killed by this particular game, so it sure isn’t “softball.”

It is simply impossible to watch this testimony without concluding that Eric Holder is either a dangerous incompetent, or a liar. If what he says is true, his removal from the Justice Department would cause nary a ripple – he’s so disconnected from vital operations that nobody would even notice he was gone. Otherwise, he should be up on charges, most definitely beginning with contempt of Congress.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2deadfeds; 300deadmexicans; atf; banglist; brianterry; dea; dhs; doj; fastandfurious; fbi; gunrunner; gunwalker; holder; ice; jaimezapata; murdergate; obama; terry; zapata
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-33 last
To: marktwain

For openers. I would not be at all surprised to learn that Holder, et al have the name, address and phone number of Boner’s mistress. Even better than that....what better way to completely compromise Boner than for Nancy Pluggugli to take him to bed one time?!

If the thought of that repulses you.....remember this: We already have photos of Boner all puckered up and KISSING the old heifer. And while it would be considered a high crime by the Mainslimes for BONER to go to bed with HER; Old Nan would be heralded as a heroine on the order of Joan of Arc, because she “took one” for the team.....and totally disempowered Boner.

There’s got to be some VERY POTENT “something” lurking in the shadows for Boner to go out of his way to IMPEDE Issa like he’s been doing.

I have been suspicious of ol’ Johnny Boy from day one because he dresses like a Don Juan ladies’ man, and that giggolo perpetual tanning bed tan is not normal for a down-to-earth regular guy.

THE TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION!!


21 posted on 06/08/2012 6:47:31 AM PDT by Tucker39 ( Psa 68:19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits; even the God of our salvation.KJV)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: harpseal; TexasCowboy; nunya bidness; AAABEST; Travis McGee; Squantos; wku man; SLB; ...
'“I have superior knowledge,” was Holder’s ultimate response.'

Holder's arrogance cannot possibly surprise anyone at this point.

The fact that not one of Holder's questioners didn't jump all over this statement in a NY second is proof positive that there isn't a complete pair in the whole lot of them.

Pathetic.

Click the Gadsden flag for pro-gun resources!

22 posted on 06/08/2012 6:57:48 AM PDT by Joe Brower (Sheep have three speeds: "graze", "stampede" and "cower".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberalh8ter
I'm astonished (and suspicious) no one picked up on it. As soon as I read it, my blood pressure shot up!

I've been in many meetings (and dates, lol) where I walked away and thought "Damn, I should've said..."

Too many for me to sit back and criticize these guys from my armchair. It's certainly something they can fire a letter off on now, though. (Which will be criticized from the freeperchairs as "just another strongly worded...")

23 posted on 06/08/2012 7:02:17 AM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: sam_paine
I can understand your point but I'd also bet on those occasions you were somewhat blindsided. The committee knew what they were dealing with and they knew he lied; they had proof in hand and they had him in a corner. That said, he burped out the equivalent of, “I know you are but what am I?” and they let it go. Instead, it should have been the last straw and this morning, that comment should have earned him a contempt charge.
24 posted on 06/08/2012 7:11:23 AM PDT by liberalh8ter (If Barack has a memory like a steel trap, why can't he remember what the Constitution says?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: marktwain
Holder claimed that high officials in his department don’t review wiretap applications before signing them...

I work in the Engineering field. One thing that is pounded into the heads of the low level Tech to the Senior Engineer is that your signature is worth something. When you sign off on a document you have reviewed and agree with the contents. If there are additional documents referenced on the document you are signing you must review them also.

Do you think these Lawyers in the Justice Department who alledgedly didn't know what they were signing off on, would allow that to be a defense if a building collasped and people were killed?

This defense of the DOJ officials by Holder indicates he is either a perjurer (I didn't use the word liar)or totally unqualified to lead the department that is supposed to represent Law.

25 posted on 06/08/2012 7:27:57 AM PDT by Starstruck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

Breaking news: Holder is still a lying criminal.


26 posted on 06/08/2012 8:20:50 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Starstruck
*** I work in the Engineering field. One thing that is pounded into the heads of the low level Tech to the Senior Engineer is that your signature is worth something. When you sign off on a document you have reviewed and agree with the contents. If there are additional documents referenced on the document you are signing you must review them also. ***

Ditto. I've been there.
Holder's 'answer' doesn't pass the laugh test.

27 posted on 06/08/2012 8:40:17 AM PDT by Condor51 (Yo Hoffa, so you want to 'take out conservatives'. Well okay Jr - I'm your Huckleberry)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Tucker39
I had not been aware of the allegations about Boehner having a mistress--or two--but they seem to have been circulating for more than a year. That could explain his timidity on Fast & Furious.

I guess that means he won't make the short list for VP.

28 posted on 06/08/2012 8:45:10 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: marktwain
Bttt.

5.56mm

29 posted on 06/08/2012 9:05:35 AM PDT by M Kehoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberalh8ter
Instead, it should have been the last straw and this morning, that comment should have earned him a contempt charge.

Which is different from a strongly worded letter in this climate how exactly?

30 posted on 06/08/2012 9:32:05 AM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: sam_paine
A strongly worded letter is just that. A contempt charge can result in being locked up and earning the right to have your name added to a short list of contempt recipients. Not that Holder has much integrity but I doubt he wants that as his legacy.
31 posted on 06/08/2012 9:43:32 AM PDT by liberalh8ter (If Barack has a memory like a steel trap, why can't he remember what the Constitution says?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: marktwain
An astonished Chaffetz said, “The email says Fast and Furious, you say it doesn’t. I’ve got it in black and white.”

“I have superior knowledge,” was Holder’s ultimate response.

Errrr, uh, Mr. Holder. Did you not testify under oath before this very committee, some months ago, that you had not read any of these e-mails and knew nothing about any operations "walking" guns?

Mr. Holder. Were you born in Kenya too? Was that before you were born in Hawaii and after you were born in Jamaica?

32 posted on 06/08/2012 11:02:08 AM PDT by TigersEye (Life is about choices. Your choices. Make good ones.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye; All

Not only does Eric Hold know nothing, he knows everything about nothing.


33 posted on 06/08/2012 11:38:37 AM PDT by marktwain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-33 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson